Collapsible container holders are known in the art and U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,279,442, 2,649,270, 3,233,858, 3,637,184, 3,784,142, 3,991,961, 3,994,465 and 4,191,350 are representative examples of some of the known varieties. However, it has become apparent that the collapsible types of container holders are not well adapted or suited for holding a variety of shapes of drinking containers, such as cups or mugs having a handle on one or more sides thereof as well as a tall drinking container, such as the drinking containers acquired at fast-food restaurants or the like. Further, collapsible holders of the known variety are not well suited for being stowed in a position where they are not readily visible when not in use.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a collapsible holder for a container wherein it may be stowed in a position not readily visible when not in use.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a collapsible holder, as aforesaid, wherein both short drinking containers, such as cups or mugs having one or more handles thereon, as well as tall drinking containers, are readily adapted for proper support by the collapsible holder.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a collapsible holder, as aforesaid, wherein the holder is pleasing in its aesthetic appearance, is durable and requires little or no maintenance to maintain a proper support for a drinking container.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a collapsible holder, as aforesaid, wherein structure is provided to automatically place the components in the required vertically spaced relation to effectively hold and support a tall drinking container.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a collapsible holder, as aforesaid, wherein the holder may be readily and easily collapsed and maintained in the collapsed position by a convenient and automatically activated latch mechanism.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a collapsible holder, as aforesaid, wherein the base member and the support member are made of a moldable synthetic resin, thereby enabling a mass production thereof at a minimum of expense.